A Display of Deductions
by Annie.London
Summary: First fanfic EVER, so please read and review! Holmes once again shows off his powers of deduction!


All credit goes to Sir Arthur for creating these wonderful characters :)

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It was a frosty November morning, and and I was looking over the pages of my notebook, full of details of past criminals and their tales, occasionally stopping to remember certain aspects of their outcome.

Their main protagonist was lounging in the armchair by the smouldering fire, dressed in his old mouse coloured dressing gown, the light of the flames dancing across his aqualine features. Holmes had late last night locked up the infamous Oxford Street Strangler, and so now, was in one of those silent, melancholy moods, into which he so often fell when he thought his brain not at its most efficient. Refilling his old pipe, and adding to the intoxicating fumes the room was so used to, he suddenly rose, and walked to the window, watching the everyday wanderings of the people of London, and yearning for one to come to our door.

Having come to the end of my notes, I wandered over to the window,and enquired as to what had caught his attention.

"The young lady, on the other side of the street. She appears to be coming towards this house. She keeps looking at the numbers of the houses and consulting a piece of paper"

"Ah yes, I see"

We didn't have long to wait. His wish was granted when we heard a knock on the door, and were told we had a visitor. I opened the window a fraction, while Holmes moved a pile of papers from one side of the table to the other, in a feeble attempt to make the room look fairly orderly. I turned to a fresh page in my notepad and retrieved my pencil from the clutter on the table, for there was more than a chance this visitor was to be a client, wishing advice in decidedly criminal circumstances from my friend Sherlock Holmes.

A fresh faced young woman entered, aged around 5 and 20, attired in a simple navy dress, with a shawl wrapped around her trim shoulders.

My friend motioned her to sit down, and I saw the cogs in his brain start to turn as he analysed every inch of her appearence.

"I hope your journey gave you no trouble, the walk from Regents Park is a fairly long way in such icy conditions as this."

I couldn't help but retort how my companion had deduced this fact within seconds of the lady entering the room.

With this, he gave a slight smile, with the air of a magician, just about to reveal the finale of an illusion.

"I know this Watson, because the mud on her boots, is quite distinctive, just as I also know she is a governess, and she had a tiring day today- the chalk from the lessons is on her cheek, coming from resting on her hand and leaving an imprint there."

I was about to comment, but my friend continued...

"She is also well liked in her employment, the shawl, if I may say, is of a higher quality than I daresay she would purchase herself. I see you are slightly absent minded- it is a cold day- yet where are the gloves? One is in your bag, and why not wear it unless you have forgotten its partner. You were nervous about coming, the considerable time you spent looking up at the window told me that. You felt that it was too petit a problem to come to me with, yet, you gathered up your doubts and are now here."

The wide eyes of our client showed us that it was, indeed, all true.

I notice you are also fairly accomplished with the needle, the button on your collar has been well repaired; match that with the small pricks on your thumb, coming from where, sometimes forgetfully have misplaced the thimble, and the deduction is a simple one.

We share a love of music I see- your fingers and nails show the unmistakable signs of a piano player and I note you are also engaged to be married, not just by the ring I might add, I knew even before you walked into this room."

Now, the eyes narrowed, suspicion playing across her face.

"I happened to see you walk across the street; you seemed distant, the distinctive air of one in love, then you appeared to come back to your senses, your smile faded into a slight frown, your features became worried, showing your engagement and the predicament which you are to relate to me, weigh equally on your mind, if you can forget the problem you are here for, for your engagement, therefore I deduce your problem is not one of the most horrific, rather a curious incident, so therefore, I suggest we make our way down to Regents Park, where you tell me about this problem of yours."

Our guest stared at Holmes for a moment, then seemed to find her voice to say,

"Good morning to you too, Mr. Holmes!"


End file.
